Would you only go to a Dr. That was in the FACS? I've noticed that those are the more expensive doctors, but they have excellent credentials.

Hi,

I was wondering what FACS is? How can you see if your doctor is listed? I am going to Dr. Garcia and I am 100% happy with my decision but still just curious.

He has all of his credentials at the link below which is another reason that made me go with him.

http://www.mexicoweightlosssurgery.com/dr_fernando_garcia.php

Members of the American College of Surgeons are referred to as "Fellows." The letters FACS (Fellow, American College of Surgeons) after a surgeon's name mean that the surgeon's education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct have passed a rigorous evaluation, and have been found to be consistent with the high standards established and demanded by the College.

Thank you!

I guess my answer would be No, since it doesn't look like Dr.Garcia was in FACS

Are you still trying to make a decision? Nervous about going out of the country?

Yes I am lol I get so confused! I read all of the different experiences and it really confuses me on which dr to choose... Lol

It was a big factor for me. But so was experience, number of reported complications and leaks, and of course prior patient reviews. I wanted someone who I could completely trust and I felt I found it with Dr Aceves. It was worth waiting and saving a few more months for my peace of mind. I'm not putting down any else's choice. I work with physicians for a living, so I am probably a little more particular in my choices. But ultimately, I went with my gut feeling.

I wanted some who had (in theory) additional training and was more of a "specialist" and most FACS have 4+ additional years of training.

It was ONE of many considerations for my choice of surgeon.

Yes I am lol I get so confused! I read all of the different experiences and it really confuses me on which dr to choose... Lol

What I did was literally put the top 10 names on a seperate piece of paper and wrote everything I could find about each one, good and bad. I was pretty easy after that to narrow it down to 5, then 2. Might sound silly, but I really prayed about the two choices and the next morning I woke up and knew who was the best choice for me. Yes, he was more expensive, but I knew in my heart he was the best choice for me. Hope this helps a little. Take your time and make the best choice for you.

I know it is not an easy decision and I know it can be confusing but just continue to do your research and read experiences and follow your gut, just remember bottom line is everyone is human and i am sure that no matter the doctor they will do the best that they can and with the help of these forums speaking to patients helps a lot more then just reading reviews on the doctor's website.

There are many great doctors out there so maybe it would be beneficial to write a list of what you are seeking and do as Amykins did to narrow it down.

I wish you the best with your choice and can not wait to be with you on the losers bench!!

Thank you everyone for the input! My situation is, I live in Texas and I don't have the money to even book the surgery at the moment. I'm in the process of saving up for it, or I'm going to try to get a personal loan from my bank. I really don't want to get it financed through a lot of the other places because the interest would kill me. I will prob get back around $3000 or so at tax time, so I'm trying to come up with the remainder before then. I've looked at several surgeons... Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Aceves and Dr. Alvarez all are in the FACS I believe and have excellent reviews but they are way more expensive. I know that I this is my life and I should save up the money and go with who I absolutely feel the most comfortable with. I guess where I get confused is so many people go with Garcia, Lopez, Rod and they all have good experiences for like half the cost of the other surgeons. I don't make a lot of money so I'm just debating on going with one of the less expensive surgeons... I just don't know :/

Thank you everyone for the input! My situation is, I live in Texas and I don't have the money to even book the surgery at the moment. I'm in the process of saving up for it, or I'm going to try to get a personal loan from my bank. I really don't want to get it financed through a lot of the other places because the interest would kill me. I will prob get back around $3000 or so at tax time, so I'm trying to come up with the remainder before then. I've looked at several surgeons... Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Aceves and Dr. Alvarez all are in the FACS I believe and have excellent reviews but they are way more expensive. I know that I this is my life and I should save up the money and go with who I absolutely feel the most comfortable with. I guess where I get confused is so many people go with Garcia, Lopez, Rod and they all have good experiences for like half the cost of the other surgeons. I don't make a lot of money so I'm just debating on going with one of the less expensive surgeons... I just don't know :/

Thank you everyone for the input! My situation is, I live in Texas and I don't have the money to even book the surgery at the moment. I'm in the process of saving up for it, or I'm going to try to get a personal loan from my bank. I really don't want to get it financed through a lot of the other places because the interest would kill me. I will prob get back around $3000 or so at tax time, so I'm trying to come up with the remainder before then. I've looked at several surgeons... Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Aceves and Dr. Alvarez all are in the FACS I believe and have excellent reviews but they are way more expensive. I know that I this is my life and I should save up the money and go with who I absolutely feel the most comfortable with. I guess where I get confused is so many people go with Garcia, Lopez, Rod and they all have good experiences for like half the cost of the other surgeons. I don't make a lot of money so I'm just debating on going with one of the less expensive surgeons... I just don't know :/

I understand where you are coming from, price was a factor for me as well but at the same time if I felt like I wasn't going to get the same service as I would with paying a higher priced doctor I would have never booked the surgery. In the end my life is worth more then money.

Another thing to keep in mind, I am not sure if the break down is the same in Mexico as in the US, but for instance the one place I was talking to, the doctor gets paid $6500, anesthesiologist $2000 and the rest of the $5000 + dollars was just for the hospital. So regardless of where I would have opted to have the surgery for instance if I wanted to go to a center of excellence to get it done it was going to be at least $32000 for this particular doctor, but he was still only getting $6500.

Based on what I had learned, that is why going to the doctor that cost more in Mexico or the one that was offering a special didn't matter. What did matter were the reviews from others that had actually gone to the doctors Hope this helps a little , at least to see where someone else was coming from.

It is something the Dr has to pay to be in so I No that would not be a decision maker for me.

I definitely want to go to a surgeon that speaks English. That would make me feel so much more at ease. I'm already gonna be a nervous wreck being in a diff country!

Jesser, most of the surgeons speak excellent English. In my case, the coordinator at the hospital, the anesthesiologist, and his assistant all spoke excellent English. I believe there is one surgeon in TJ who speaks limited English. I'm sorry I can't remember his name, but I'm sure someone else will know the name.

I work with physicians for a living and spoke to a couple this morning who told me they pay alot more to go through the hundreds of hours of credentialing, testing, and internship than they do to have the FACS behind their name. You don't just walk in and pay for the title, you have to earn it and continue the studies and tests to keep it.

Thank you that's what I thought possibly. And that's probably why they do charge more than a lot of the others. It's like do I spend probably 9 grand and go with a FACS doctor in a center of excellence, or do I go with one that I can afford but maybe that doctor won't have as much training as the others... I just don't want something to go wrong and them not know what to do. I may be over analyzing it all...

I'm just anxious and ready to pick a surgeon, and start making my plans. Everything is so up in the air right now and it's driving me crazy! Lol